St Andrews misses out on its own Monopoly board game

Maureen Ferrier

St Andrews has missed out in the chance to become the latest location to be featured in the game of Monopoly.

The town had reached a shortlist of six for the special edition of the game, but was pipped in a public poll by Perth.

The world-famous board game is 80 this year and, to celebrate, London games’ chiefs had originally shortlisted 20 Scottish locations then narrowed these down to half a dozen, with the public invited to vote for Ayr, Falkirk, Motherwell, Perth and Stirling, along with St Andrews.

St Andreans had been looking forward to seeing The Scores becoming the new Mayfair and Market Street replacing Oxford Street on the customised board, while railway stations could have been replaced by the town’s bus station.

But despite calls from community council chairman Howard Greenwell, the town failed to get behind the bid.

“I ‘d certainly be all in favour of St Andrews being recognised,” he said ,adding St Andrews’ international reputation, historic locations and attractions, would definitely lend itself to being represented in a version of the game.

This week he was disappointed by the vote and warned players of the game: “They don’t know what they are missing.

“There’s no accounting for taste,” he mused.

Places like the R&A Golf Club, he added, had the prestige to take the place of locations such as Mayfair in the original.

“It’s a year of celebration for us and also for one Scottish location, ” said Colin Fisher, Scottish area executive at Winning Moves UK, which is making this official version of Monopoly under licence from owners Hasbro.

The special edition board game is expected to hit the shops in time for Christmas.